Cross-command vision positioning system and method

Abstract

A method for depositing material onto an electronic substrate using a supply system includes acquiring images of adjacent feature areas, assigning programmed search boxes to the edges of the feature areas, identifying programmed edges of the feature areas, identifying the intersection of programmed edges for each feature area, determining the center line from the intersection, determining the midpoint, obtaining an intersection command for a supply operation between a first component and a second component, and performing the supply operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to an apparatus and method for supplying a viscous material onto an electronic substrate such as a printed circuit board, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for supplying a material onto an electronic substrate using a supply unit configured to identify the position of an object on the electronic substrate without acquiring an image of the entire object.

Background Art

[0002] There are several types of supply systems used to supply precise amounts of liquid or paste for various applications. One such application is the assembly of integrated circuit chips and other electronic components onto the substrate of a circuit board. In this application, an automated supply system is used to supply dots of liquid epoxy or solder paste, or some other relevant material, onto a printed circuit board. The automated supply system is also used to supply lines of underfill material and encapsulant, which can be used to mechanically secure components to the printed circuit board. Exemplary supply systems described above include supply systems manufactured and commercially available from Illinois Tool Works Electronic Assembly Equipment (ITW EAE), which has offices in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.

[0003] In a typical feeding system, the feeding unit is mounted on a moving assembly or gantry to move along three mutually orthogonal axes (x, y, and z axes) using servo motors controlled by a computer system or controller. To feed liquid dots to a desired location on a printed circuit board or other substrate, the feeding unit is moved along the coplanar horizontal x and y axes until it is positioned above the desired location. The feeding unit is then lowered along the vertically oriented vertical z axis until the nozzle / needle of the feeding unit and feeding system is at the appropriate feeding height above the electronic substrate. The feeding unit feeds a liquid dot, then rises along the z axis, moves along the x and y axes to a new position, and lowers along the z axis to feed the next liquid dot. In applications such as underfill sealing or feeding as described above, the feeding unit is typically controlled to feed the material line as it moves along the desired path of the material line along the x and y axes. In the case of some types of supply units, such as injection pumps, z-axis movement before and after the supply operation may not be necessary.

[0004] Vision systems are used to locate objects on electronic circuit boards. Current vision algorithms can only locate the edges of objects, but they cannot locate the intersection of two non-parallel edges. While lines can be drawn parallel to edges, offset lines cannot be centered across cavity gaps when parts are skewed relative to each other. For material to flow uniformly across adjacent parts, the needle tip must always be positioned centered across the gap during the feeding process. Otherwise, this can result in uneven coating across the tips and, in some cases, damage to the needle tip. [Overview of the Initiative]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for depositing material onto an electronic substrate using a feeding system of the type comprising a frame, a feeding unit gantry movably coupled to the frame, a feeding unit coupled to the feeding unit gantry, a feeding unit configured to deposit (adhere) material onto an electronic substrate during a feeding operation, a vision system gantry coupled to the frame, and a vision system coupled to the vision system gantry, wherein the vision system is configured to acquire one or more images of the electronic substrate having two adjacent feature portions before performing a feeding operation.In one embodiment, the method includes: obtaining a first image of a first portion of two adjacent feature portions, including a first feature portion of a first component and a second feature portion of a second component; obtaining a second image of a second portion of two adjacent feature portions, including a third feature portion of a first component and a fourth feature portion of a second component; assigning programmed search boxes to the edges of the first and second feature portions; assigning programmed search boxes to the edges of the third and fourth feature portions; and identifying programmed edges of the first and second feature portions, wherein each of the first and second feature portions includes a horizontal programmed edge and a vertical programmed edge. Identifying programmed edges, wherein each of the third and fourth feature parts includes a horizontal programmed edge and a vertical programmed edge; identifying the intersection of the horizontal programmed edge and the vertical programmed edge for each of the first and second feature parts; determining a first centerline from the intersection of the first feature part to the intersection of the second feature part; identifying the intersection of the horizontal programmed edge and the vertical programmed edge for each of the third and fourth feature parts; determining a second centerline from the intersection of the third feature part to the intersection of the fourth feature part; determining the midpoint of the first centerline; determining the midpoint of the second centerline; determining an intersection command for a feed operation between the first component and the second component; and performing the feed operation.

[0006] Embodiments of the method may further include measuring the offset distance from the intersection in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the feature portion for each intersection of the first and second feature portions, and each intersection of the third and fourth feature portions. The offset distance may be negative, positive, or zero. The method may further include measuring the positional distance from the intersection in one of two directions from the edge of the feature portion for each intersection of the first and second feature portions, and each intersection of the third and fourth feature portions. The positional distance in the upward direction from the intersection may be positive, and the positional distance in the downward direction from the intersection may be negative. The positional distance in the rightward direction from the intersection may be positive, and the positional distance in the leftward direction from the intersection may be negative. Each image consists of pixels, each pixel being the smallest pixel that a vision system can uniquely identify, and is interpreted as black or white with shades of gray. A user can select one edge from several edges from a graphic user interface. The edge may be one of a vertical edge from a plurality of vertical edges and one horizontal edge from a plurality of horizontal edges. The method may further include generating model templates for the edges.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure, when executed by a computer, involves obtaining a first image of a first portion of two adjacent feature portions, including a first feature portion of a first component and a second feature portion of a second component; obtaining a second image of a second portion of two adjacent feature portions, including a third feature portion of a first component and a fourth feature portion of a second component; assigning programmed search boxes to the edges of the first and second feature portions; assigning programmed search boxes to the edges of the third and fourth feature portions; and identifying programmed edges of the first and second feature portions, each of which includes a horizontal programmed edge and a vertical programmed edge; and identifying programmed edges of the third and fourth feature portions. The present invention relates to a computer-readable medium in which each of the 3rd and 4th feature sections includes a horizontal programmed edge and a vertical programmed edge, and for each of the 1st and 2nd feature sections, it includes instructions for identifying the intersection of the horizontal programmed edge and the vertical programmed edge, determining a first center line from the intersection of the 1st feature section to the intersection of the 2nd feature section, identifying the intersection of the horizontal programmed edge and the vertical programmed edge for each of the 3rd and 4th feature sections, determining a second center line from the intersection of the 3rd feature section to the intersection of the 4th feature section, determining the midpoint of the first center line, determining the midpoint of the second center line, determining an intersection command for a feed operation between the 1st and 2nd component, and instructions for causing the computer to perform and how to perform a feed operation.

[0008] Embodiments of a computer-readable medium may further include measuring the offset distance from the intersection in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the feature portion for each intersection of the first and second feature portions, and each intersection of the third and fourth feature portions. The offset distance may be negative, positive, or zero. The method may further include measuring the positional distance from the intersection in one of two directions from the edge of the feature portion for each intersection of the first and second feature portions, and each intersection of the third and fourth feature portions. The positional distance in the upward direction from the intersection may be positive, and the positional distance in the downward direction from the intersection may be negative. The positional distance in the rightward direction from the intersection may be positive, and the positional distance in the leftward direction from the intersection may be negative. Each image consists of pixels, each pixel being the smallest pixel that a vision system can uniquely identify, and is interpreted as black or white with grayscale tones. A user can select one edge from several edges from a graphic user interface. An edge can be either one vertical edge from multiple vertical edges or one horizontal edge from multiple horizontal edges. The method may further include generating a model template of the edge.

[0009] Various aspects of at least one embodiment are discussed below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are not intended to be drawn to a uniform scale. The drawings are included to illustrate and further understand the various aspects and embodiments and are incorporated into this specification, forming part of this specification, but are not intended to define any limitation to any particular embodiment. The drawings, together with the rest of this specification, serve to illustrate the principles and operation of the described and claimed aspects and embodiments. In the drawings, each identical or substantially identical component shown in different drawings is represented by the same reference numeral. For clarity, not all components are labeled in every drawing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the supply system. [Figure 2A] This is a schematic representation of two components on an electronic circuit board, showing two images, each with a programmed edge. [Figure 2B] Figure 2A is a schematic representation of two components on an electronic circuit board, showing the intersection of the component edges. [Figure 2C] This figure shows an explanation of the symbols used in the schematic diagrams shown in Figures 2A and 2B. [Figure 3A] This is a schematic representation similar to Figure 2B, showing the positional offset of two components on an electronic circuit board. [Figure 3B] This is a schematic representation similar to Figure 2B, showing the positional offset of two components on an electronic circuit board. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of a component that indicates position and distance. [Figure 5] This image shows a dropdown menu where the user can select the edge of a component. [Figure 6] This figure shows an image description of the edge model template selected by the user. [Figure 7] This figure shows the intersections based on the model template. [Figure 8] This diagram shows that, once the locations of two intersection points are identified, the user generates a line from the calculated midpoint to another detected midpoint. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Various embodiments of this disclosure relate to viscous material supply systems and devices including supply systems. Embodiments disclosed herein relate to techniques for supplying materials onto electronic substrates by a supply system. Such supply systems are configured to supply assembly materials (e.g., solder paste, conductive ink, adhesive, or encapsulating material) onto electronic substrates (e.g., printed circuit boards referred to herein as “electronic substrates,” “circuit boards,” “boards,” “PCBs,” “PCB substrates,” “substrates,” or “PCB boards”) or to perform other operations. Specifically, embodiments of this disclosure relate below to supply systems used for manufacturing printed circuit boards. A supply system may also be referred to as a “dispenser.”

[0012] The present disclosure is described in detail here with reference to the accompanying drawings, for illustrative purposes only and not to limit its universality. The present disclosure is not limited to the details of configurations and arrangements of components described in the following description or shown in the drawings, with respect to its applications. The principles described in the present disclosure are also applicable to other embodiments and can be practiced or implemented in various ways. Furthermore, the expressions and terminology used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered limiting. Any reference in this application to an example, embodiment, component, element or operation of a system or method referred to singularly may also encompass embodiments containing multiple components, and any reference in this application to any embodiment, component, element or operation as plural may also encompass embodiments containing only singular components. References in singular or plural form are not intended to limit the systems or methods, their components, operations or elements disclosed in this application. The use of the terms “including,” “equipped with,” “having,” “containing,” “accompanied by,” and variations thereof in this application means that the article described therein, its equivalents and additional articles, are included. References to “or / or” can be interpreted as comprehensive, such that any term described using “or / or” can refer to any single, one or more, or all of the terms described herein. In addition, if there is inconsistency in the use of terms between this Specified Publication and any document that constitutes part of this Application by reference, the use of terms in the document that constitutes part of this Application is supplementary to the use in this Publication, and the use of terms in this Publication shall prevail if the inconsistency results in a contradiction.

[0013] Figure 1 schematically shows a supply system, shown collectively as 10, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The supply system 10 is used to supply viscous materials (e.g., adhesives, encapsulants, epoxy, solder paste, underfill materials, etc.) or semi-viscous materials (e.g., solder flux, etc.) onto an electronic substrate 12 such as a printed circuit board or semiconductor wafer. The supply system 10 can also be used in other applications, such as for coating automotive gasket materials, or for application in certain medical fields, or for coating conductive inks. It should be understood that, as used in this application, references to viscous materials or semi-viscous materials are illustrative and not intended to be limiting. In one embodiment, the supply system 10 comprises a first supply unit and a second supply unit, shown collectively as 14 and 16, respectively, and a controller 18 for controlling the operation of the supply system. It should be understood that the supply units may also be referred to in this application as a supply pump and / or supply head. Although two supply units are shown, it should be understood that a single supply unit or multiple supply units may be used.

[0014] The supply system 10 may also include a frame 20 having a base or support 22 for supporting the electronic substrate 12, a supply unit gantry 24 movably coupled to the frame 20 for supporting and moving the supply units 14, 16, and a weighing device or weighing instrument 26 for weighing the amount of viscous material supplied and providing weight data to the controller 18, for example, as part of a calibration procedure. To control the mounting and detachment of the electronic substrate to the supply system, the supply system 10 may use other transfer mechanisms such as a conveyor system (not shown) or a moving beam. The gantry 24 can be moved using motors under the control of the controller 18 to position the supply units 14, 16 in predetermined positions above the electronic substrate. The supply system 10 may also include a display unit 28 connected to the controller 18 for displaying various information to the operator. An optional second controller for controlling the supply units may be provided. Each supply unit 14, 16 may also be configured to use a z-axis sensor (e.g., a laser) to detect the height at which the supply unit is positioned above the electronic substrate 12 or above a mechanism mounted on the electronic substrate. The z-axis sensor is coupled to the controller 18 and relays the information acquired by the sensor to the controller.

[0015] Before performing the supply operation described above, the electronic circuit board, for example, a printed circuit board, must be aligned with the supply unit of the supply system, or otherwise positioned. The supply system further comprises a vision system 30, which in one embodiment is coupled to a vision system gantry 32, and the vision system gantry 32 is movably coupled to a frame 20 to support and move the vision system. In another embodiment, the vision system 30 may be located on a supply unit gantry 24. As described above, the vision system 30 is used to match the position of a landmark, target, or reference point on the electronic circuit board, known as a reference. Once located, the controller can be programmed to operate the movement of one or more of the supply units 14, 16 to supply material onto the electronic circuit board.

[0016] The systems and methods of this disclosure relate to supplying material onto an electronic substrate, such as a printed circuit board. The description of the systems and methods provided herein refers to an exemplary electronic substrate 12 (e.g., a printed circuit board) supported on a support 22 of a supply system 10. In one embodiment, the supply operation is controlled by a controller 18, which may include a computer system configured to control a material supply unit. In another embodiment, the controller 18 may be operated by an operator. The controller 18 is configured to operate the movement of a vision system gantry 32 to move a vision system to acquire one or more images of the electronic substrate 12. The controller 18 is further configured to operate the movement of a supply unit gantry 24 to move supply units 14, 16 to perform a supply operation.

[0017] The methods disclosed herein, but are not limited to, further support the use of augers, pistons, time and pressure controls, and various types of supply units, including injection pumps.

[0018] In one embodiment, the exemplary supply system described herein can embody a Camalot™ supply system sold by ITW EAE of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, such as a PRODIGY™ dispenser.

[0019] One particular problem is to position the needle tip or nozzle tip of the dispenser centrally at any time during the manufacturing operation of different part batches having varying gaps. This can often only be solved by detecting adjacent intersections and identifying the position of the midpoint on the connecting line spanning between these two intersections.

[0020] Embodiments of the method disclosed herein identify the position of the corner of an object with the aid of two programmed edges to detect intersections. Those adjacent intersections assist in identifying the position of the midpoint at both ends of the line drawn between the start point and the end point, which serve as the start point and the end point. The two detected intersections can be present within different camera fields of view that provide the user with maximum flexibility for programming larger parts.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C, FIG. 2A shows two electronic substrates. A first electronic substrate 40 and a second electronic substrate 42 are positioned adjacent to each other. In the illustrated example, the first electronic substrate 40 and the second electronic substrate 42 are skewed with respect to each other, which means that the adjacent edges of these electronic substrates are not parallel to each other. This skew is exaggerated in the drawings for the purpose of showing aspects of the present disclosure.

[0022] Referring to the explanation of the symbols provided in Figure 2C, there are two separate camera fields of view (FOV) 44 and 46, as shown in Figure 2A. The top field of view 44 shows the top of the first electronic substrate 40 and the second electronic substrate 42. The bottom field of view 46 shows the bottom of the first electronic substrate 40 and the second electronic substrate 42. Within each field of view 44 and 46, programmed search boxes for edges, indicated by 48 respectively, are identified and represented. The programmed search boxes 48 are configured to identify features of the first and second electronic substrates, such as the vertical and horizontal edges of the electronic substrates 40 and 42. Furthermore, within each field of view 44 and 46, programmed edges, indicated by 50 respectively, are identified and represented. The programmed edges represent the vertical and horizontal edges of the electronic substrates 40 and 42.

[0023] Referring to the explanation of the symbols provided in Figure 2C, two camera fields of view 44 and 46 with different notations are shown in Figure 2B. A programmed edge 50 is represented in this figure. For each corner of the first electronic substrate 40 and the second electronic substrate 42 having intersecting programmed edges, the intersections shown in 52 are identified. As shown in the top field of view 44, two adjacent intersections 52 are connected by a center line 54 extending between them. The midpoint shown in 56 is identified within the center line 54. Similarly, as shown in the bottom field of view 46, two adjacent intersections 52 are connected by a center line 58 extending between them. The midpoint shown in 60 is identified within the center line 58.

[0024] Based on two midpoints 56, 60 identified along the top centerline 54 and the bottom centerline 58, respectively, a line command 62 can be generated so that the controller can generate a path for the supply system to supply material between the first electronic substrate 40 and the second electronic substrate 42. Specifically, a supply unit of the supply system, for example, supply unit 14 or 16, can be programmed by the controller 18 to supply material along the path based on the line command 62.

[0025] The intersection command finds the exact corner passing through the intersection of two non-parallel edges. These non-parallel edges can be positioned at any angle to each other, depending on the product. It should be understood that non-parallel edges can include curvature that deviates from a straight line to form an arc. These edges are programmed within the intersection command template to generate an intersection point where the edges intersect each other. This intersection point is used to feed a dot command or line command to a programmed position offset.

[0026] Referring to Figures 3A and 3B, the position offset is measured as the offset distance away from the intersection in a direction perpendicular to the edge. The position offset distance can be negative, positive, or zero ("0"). A zero ("0") position offset means the midpoint of the gap between the programmed edges 50 of the circuit board. For a single circuit board, e.g., circuit board 40, a zero ("0") position distance is located at the midpoint of the intersection on the programmed edges of each circuit board. In Figure 3A, the midpoint along line command 62 is designated as 64. In Figure 3B, the midpoint along line command 62 is designated as 66. The position offset direction may vary depending on which circuit board is initially selected to program the edges. A position offset away from the edge is considered positive, while a position offset toward the edge is considered negative.

[0027] Referring to Figure 4, the positional distance is measured as the distance from the intersection in any direction on the selected edge. This positional distance can be negative, positive, or zero ("0"). For vertical edges, i.e., tip edges 0 and 2, the length of the positional distance upward from the midpoint 66 of the intersection is called positive, while the length of the positional distance downward is called negative. For horizontal edges, i.e., tip edges 1 and 3, the length of the positional distance to the right from the midpoint 66 of the intersection is called positive, while the length of the positional distance to the left is called negative.

[0028] Referring to Figure 5, the image obtained by the vision system, for example, vision system 30, captures target points or reference points on the product. These reference points are programmed as model templates or regions of interest identified from the captured raw image. The image consists of pixels, each being the smallest pixel that the vision system can uniquely identify. Each pixel is interpreted as black or white with possible shades of gray (256 possible shades). A large number of adjacent pixels of the same shade define the image. The camera takes measurements at the pixel level, while the system takes measurements in either inches (in) or millimeters (mm).

[0029] The user can select an edge from a dropdown menu. As shown in Figure 5, for horizontal features, an approach from the top direction identifies the top edges as top edge 1, top edge 2, top edge 3, top edge 4, and top edge 5, while an approach from the bottom direction identifies the bottom edges as bottom edge 1, bottom edge 2, bottom edge 3, bottom edge 4, and bottom edge 5. Similarly, for vertical features, an approach from the right direction identifies the right edges as right edge 1, right edge 2, right edge 3, right edge 4, and right edge 5, while an approach from the left direction identifies the left edges as left edge 1, left edge 2, left edge 3, left edge 4, and left edge 5. As described above, the user can select the edge that best reflects the edge of the feature by using the dropdown menu. These edges can be highlighted by the software performing this function and displayed to the user through a user interface such as a graphical user interface (GUI).

[0030] Edges are extracted based on an analysis of the gray level intensity transitions of pixels in an image. Different thresholding modes can be used to extract edges based on contrast changes, noise, and uneven illumination. To further select the correct edges, edge polarity can be selected, indicating whether the edge is either lighter or darker than the background color of the image, and only edges of a specified user length are considered valid edges.

[0031] Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the model template identified as model template 1 is programmed to have a top edge 1, while the other model template identified as model template 2 is programmed to have a left edge 1. The intersection is marked as a cross sign, as shown in Figure 6.

[0032] Referring to Figure 7, once the locations of the two intersections are identified, the user can start a line from the calculated midpoint toward the other detected midpoint at the other end of the chip that will become the end of the line. In this way, the line can be fed to the center of the detected gap.

[0033] A method for performing a supply operation includes obtaining a first image of the first portion of two adjacent feature parts, including the first feature part of the first component and the second feature part of the second component. Next, the method includes obtaining a second image of the second portion of two adjacent feature parts, including the third feature part of the first component and the fourth feature part of the second component. Next, the method includes assigning programmed search boxes to the edges of the first feature part and the edges of the second feature part, and assigning programmed search boxes to the edges of the third feature part and the edges of the fourth feature part. Next, the method includes identifying programmed edges of the first and second feature parts, each of which includes a horizontal programmed edge and a vertical programmed edge. Next, the method includes identifying programmed edges of the third and fourth feature parts, each of which includes a horizontal programmed edge and a vertical programmed edge. For each of the first and second feature parts, the method further includes identifying the intersection of a horizontal programmed edge and a vertical programmed edge, and determining a first centerline from the intersection of the first feature part to the intersection of the second feature part. For each of the third and fourth feature parts, the method further includes identifying the intersection of a horizontal programmed edge and a vertical programmed edge, and determining a second centerline from the intersection of the third feature part to the intersection of the fourth feature part. Next, the method includes determining the midpoint of the first centerline and the midpoint of the second centerline. After determining these midpoints, an intersection command for a feed operation between the first and second components is determined. At this point, the feed operation is performed.

[0034] For each intersection of the first and second feature parts, and each intersection of the third and fourth feature parts, the method may further include measuring an offset distance from the intersection in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the feature part, where this offset distance is negative, positive, or zero. For each intersection of the first and second feature parts, and each intersection of the third and fourth feature parts, the method may further include measuring a positional distance from the intersection in one of two directions from the edge of the feature part. A positional distance upward from the midpoint of the detected intersection is positive, and a positional distance downward from the midpoint of the detected intersection is negative. A positional distance to the right of the midpoint of the detected intersection is positive, and a positional distance to the left of the midpoint of the detected intersection is negative.

[0035] The method may further include selecting one edge from several edges via a graphical user interface. Specifically, the user can select one vertical edge from multiple vertical edges, and one horizontal edge from multiple horizontal edges.

[0036] Various controllers, such as controller 14, can perform the various operations described above. Using data stored in associated memory and / or storage devices, controller 14 can also execute one or more instructions stored in one or more non-temporary computer-readable media that controller 14 may include and / or combine, thereby producing manipulated data. In some examples, controller 14 may include one or more processors or other types of controllers. In one example, controller 14 is at least one processor or includes at least one processor. In other examples, controller 14 performs at least some of the operations described above using application-specific integrated circuits tuned to perform specific operations in addition to, or in place of, a general-purpose processor. As illustrated by these examples, examples pursuant to the present disclosure can perform the operations described herein using many specific combinations of hardware and software, and the present disclosure is not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software components. Examples of the present disclosure may include computer program products configured to perform the methods, processes, and / or operations described above. A computer program product is or may include one or more controllers and / or processors configured to execute instructions for performing the methods, processes, and / or actions described above.

[0037] Having described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this disclosure, it should be understood that various modifications, changes, and improvements will readily come to mind for those skilled in the art. Such modifications, changes, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure and to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are merely examples.

Claims

1. A method for depositing material onto an electronic substrate using a feeding system of the type comprising: a frame; a feeding unit gantry movably coupled to the frame; a feeding unit coupled to the feeding unit gantry, configured to deposit material onto an electronic substrate during a feeding operation; a vision system gantry coupled to the frame; and a vision system coupled to the vision system gantry, configured to acquire one or more images of the electronic substrate having two adjacent feature portions before performing the feeding operation; Obtaining a first image of a first portion of two adjacent feature parts, including the first feature part of the first component and the second feature part of the second component, To obtain a second image of a second portion of two adjacent feature parts, including the third feature part of the first component and the fourth feature part of the second component, Assigning a programmed search box to the edge of the first feature portion and the edge of the second feature portion, Assigning a programmed search box to the edges of the third feature portion and the edges of the fourth feature portion, Identifying the programmed edges of the first feature portion and the second feature portion, wherein each of the first feature portion and the second feature portion includes a horizontal programmed edge and a vertical programmed edge, Identifying the programmed edges of the third and fourth feature portions, wherein each of the third and fourth feature portions includes a horizontal programmed edge and a vertical programmed edge, For each of the first and second feature parts, the intersection point of the horizontal programmed edge and the vertical programmed edge is identified, The first center line is determined from the intersection of the first feature portion to the intersection of the second feature portion, For each of the third and fourth feature parts, the intersection point of the horizontal programmed edge and the vertical programmed edge is identified, To determine the second center line from the intersection of the third feature portion to the intersection of the fourth feature portion, Finding the midpoint of the first center line, Finding the midpoint of the second center line, To obtain an intersection command for supply operation between the first component and the second component, Performing the aforementioned supply operation, Methods that include...

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising measuring the offset distance from the intersection in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the feature portion for each intersection of the first feature portion and the second feature portion, and each intersection of the third feature portion and the fourth feature portion.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the offset distance is positive, negative, or zero.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising measuring the positional distance from the edge of the feature portion to each intersection of the first feature portion and the second feature portion, and each intersection of the third feature portion and the fourth feature portion, in one of two directions.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the positional distance in the upward direction from the intersection is positive, and the positional distance in the downward direction from the intersection is negative.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the positional distance to the right of the intersection is positive, and the positional distance to the left of the intersection is negative.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein each image consists of multiple pixels, each pixel being the smallest pixel uniquely identifiable by the vision system and being interpreted as black or white having a grayscale range.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a user can select one edge from several edges from a graphical user interface.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the edge is one of a plurality of vertical edges and one of a plurality of horizontal edges.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising generating a model template of the edge.

11. A computer-readable medium containing instructions, wherein the instructions are executed by a computer. Obtaining a first image of a first portion of two adjacent feature parts, including the first feature part of the first component and the second feature part of the second component, To obtain a second image of a second portion of two adjacent feature parts, including the third feature part of the first component and the fourth feature part of the second component, Assigning a programmed search box to the edge of the first feature portion and the edge of the second feature portion, Assigning a programmed search box to the edges of the third feature portion and the edges of the fourth feature portion, Identifying the programmed edges of the first feature portion and the second feature portion, wherein each of the first feature portion and the second feature portion includes a horizontal programmed edge and a vertical programmed edge, Identifying the programmed edges of the third and fourth feature portions, wherein each of the third and fourth feature portions includes a horizontal programmed edge and a vertical programmed edge, For each of the first and second feature parts, the intersection point of the horizontal programmed edge and the vertical programmed edge is identified, The first center line is determined from the intersection of the first feature portion to the intersection of the second feature portion, For each of the third and fourth feature parts, the intersection point of the horizontal programmed edge and the vertical programmed edge is identified, To determine the second center line from the intersection of the third feature portion to the intersection of the fourth feature portion, Finding the midpoint of the first center line, Finding the midpoint of the second center line, To obtain an intersection command for supply operation between the first component and the second component, Performing the aforementioned supply operation, A computer-readable medium that causes the computer to perform the following action.

12. The computer-readable medium according to claim 11, further comprising measuring the offset distance from the intersection in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the feature portion for each intersection of the first feature portion and the second feature portion, and each intersection of the third feature portion and the fourth feature portion.

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the offset distance is positive, negative, or zero.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 11, further comprising measuring the positional distance from the edge of each feature portion to the intersection of each of the first feature portion and the second feature portion, and from each of the intersections of the third feature portion and the fourth feature portion, in one of two directions.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the positional distance in the upward direction from the intersection is positive, and the positional distance in the downward direction from the intersection is negative.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the positional distance to the right of the intersection is positive, and the positional distance to the left of the intersection is negative.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein each image consists of multiple pixels, each pixel being the smallest pixel uniquely identifiable by the vision system and being interpreted as black or white having a grayscale range.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the user can select one edge from several edges from a graphical user interface.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the edge is one of a plurality of vertical edges and one of a plurality of horizontal edges.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18, further comprising generating a model template of the edge.

Images